CHARLES STREET BUILDINGS GROUPCOMPANY HISTORY
Where we started to where we are now, with everything in between.

1930'S TO 1968CHARLES STREET BUILDINGS GROUP IS FORMED

1930'S TO 1968 CHARLES STREET BUILDINGS GROUP IS FORMED

Hughie and Paddy

During the 1930s, six brothers left South Armagh, Ireland and all settled in and around the city of Leicester. In 1945, Hughie and Paddy founded Murphy Bros. Limited, whose initial businesses were buying and selling cars, commercial vehicles, motor coaches and contractors’ plant.

Dealing in contractors’ plant led the Murphys into the operation of several open cast coal-mining sites through the National Coal Board and the Electricity Board, where the coal provided energy at local power stations. A by-product of digging for coal was clays found in the overburden, which were suitable for the manufacture of lightweight aggregate building blocks, salt glazed pipes and, to a lesser extent, bricks all of which were manufactured by subsidiary Murphy companies. This necessitated the operation of over 250 heavy earth-moving machines and a fleet of 400 vehicles to deliver these materials.

This fleet required a depot and, when new premises were needed, Murphy Bros. built them itself at Willow Street, Humberstone Road, Loughborough Road and in 1954 at Melton Road, Thurmaston, all in close proximity to Leicester city centre. The Thurmaston headquarters building was centred in 25 acres of land which was surplus to requirement and became the catalyst for speculative design and build projects let to various tenants on commercial leasehold terms.

In 1956, a prominent site was acquired at 74-82 Charles Street, Leicester and following demolition of the old W.E. Wilford Shoe warehouse, a new office block was constructed. This was occupied by the Inland Revenue on the four upper floors, with Barclays Bank and Wilkinson Hardware at ground floor level. Charles Street was at that time the main thoroughfare through the city, leading to the railway station on London Road. The office building was the first in Leicester to provide underground parking.

In 1961 Charles Street Buildings (Leicester) Limited was incorporated and became the principal property company within Murphy Bros. It was named after the Charles Street development.

In 1968, all Murphy Bros. businesses engaged in civil engineering, earthmoving, manufacturing and transport were sold to the British Electric Traction Company for £8m. From then on, the Murphys concentrated on property development and investment by retaining their interests and by establishing a rent roll through leasehold properties.